Wait a minute baby, stay with me a while....for a Recap

OK so I've been sewing now for 2 months and am a little late off the mark with starting a blog.  So this is recap time of progress to date

Resources:
Janome DC2101 - so far, so good
One Plano Tacklebox to hold all those sewing notions (comes in blah colour choice but great storage options)
Gladstone public library - great selection of eighties sewing manuals (shoulder pads, dahrling)

Projects
1. The square pillowcase (envelope style)
1st lesson learnt the hard way, measure, then measure again, then measure with a different ruler cause somethings wrong with the first, and then just for the heck of it measure again.

2. Pillowcase dress
Found Crafty Gemini you tube videos and got some great tips from her (thankyou! for visual instructions).  Bought the pillowcase pattern and made it from some gorgeous quilting cotton.  Alas not my size (deliberate, not a measuring mistake (see project#1) - so gave it to my gorgeous 1 yr old niece.

3. New Look 6578
First official commercial pattern - love, love, love this dress.  Now just have to figure out how to grade it up from size 1 toddler to size 12 ladies.....

4.  Simplicity 2226
Feeling slightly cocky after doing project #3 (and with french seams no less) tackled first 'big person' project.  A skirt....with a yoke....and pockets...and a belt.....and a zipper.  Much work to do on my basting technique (stating the obvious tip #1 - don't baste in same colour thread as your sewing thread) and I definitely don't like my zippper foot but skirt came out looking....like a skirt (cue "applause").

5.  New Look 6064
Back to little peoples clothes - had a beautiful fabric Starlings in Red -by Alexander Henry which I knew would be perfect for this pattern.  Love the ruffles but bias binding and me have a long way to go in our relationship.  First go at appliquing which I consider my first 'artistic' move in this get CREATIVE endeavour.

So nearly two months in and feeling more confident on the sewing machine.  Trawling the web for any video tutorial I can find and trying to resist the temptation of buying more and more fabric (its just so pretty...I can't look away....must buy now).  Thankyou to Wrapped in Fabric and Fabric.com for feeding my habit.

(Fleetwood Mac title reference: Sara, album: Tusk, Stevie Nicks)